The Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded the resignation of Small Scale Industries Minister and district in-charge Ramesh L. Jarkiholi for allegedly threatening party’s second-time MLA from Belagavi Rural Sanjay Patil following Income Tax raids at his residence and that of Karnataka Pradesh Mahila Congress president Laxmi R. Hebbalkar recently.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, BJP State general secretary Ravi Kumar and district (rural) president Vishwanath Patil, MLA (Bailhongal), said a massive protest will be organised in the city shortly to exert pressure on the government to take action against Mr. Jarkiholi for holding unaccounted wealth. They also condemned Mr. Jarkiholi and Ms. Hebbalkar for dragging the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and holding him responsible for the IT raids.
Mr. Patil, who was also present, recalled how Mr. Jarkiholi had expressed his anguish mid-way through the Republic Day celebrations here on Jan.26, holding the former responsible for the raids. He said Mr. Jarkiholi was upset as he believed that it was he (Sanjay Patil) who had prompted his supporter V.V. Sanath Kumar to lodge a complaint leading to the raids.
However, Mr. Patil had clarified that Mr. Kumar had filed a complaint against Ms. Hebbalkar with the Enforcement Directorate in connection with Harsha Sugars being promoted by Ms. Hebbalkar. The complaint was neither against Mr. Jarkiholi and nor made to the IT department, which acted independently.
Mr. Jarkiholi allegedly served a veiled threat that shani-kala (bad time) had just started for Mr. Patil.
When asked why did he not file a complaint with the police after being threatened, he said that he had faced such threats many times before in his political career and decided to ignore it. He said the police was yet to take action against the Belagavi Taluk Panchayat president Shankargouda Patil in four cases registered against him, including the alleged kidnap of BJP worker in presence of police just few minutes before voting for election for the post of panchayat president last year. There was also a complaint against him for carrying out late night attack at the house of Sanath Kumar recently. When the police was not taking any action against even a second line leader like Shankargouda Patil, will it take action against the sitting minister?, he asked.
